What the Nakano Family Residence Tea House Is
The Nakano Family Residence Tea House (中野家住宅茶室, Nakano-ke Jūtaku Chashitsu) is a late Taisho-era four-and-a-half-mat Chashitsu tea room in Shimoichi, Heki-kami, Nagato City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on March 6, 2024.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the late Taisho era, 1919 to 1926, and records a single-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 17 square metres. It stands at the northeast corner of the annex, facing the garden.
The roof is an Irimoya-zukuri hip-and-gable of Sangawara-buki pantiles with its ridge running north to south; part of the eaves is finished in copper.
Why It Was Registered
Of the eight registered items in the compound, only the Nakano Family Residence Tea House was registered as a model of design; the other seven were registered for their contribution to the landscape.
The Agency points to the fine timbers used around the alcove and to the room's openness toward the garden. Yamaguchi Prefecture describes it as a tea room that draws the Japanese garden into its view.
That openness sets it apart from the closed, dim tea rooms of the wabi tradition. It reads as a room designed together with the annex for entertaining guests.
What to Look For
Inside, a Tokonoma alcove and shelves stand on the north side, and a Katōmado window with a pointed, flame-shaped head opens on the west, a motif borrowed from Zen temples.
On the east and south, shoji and storm shutters can be opened, with Shitaji-mado lattice windows set in the Ranma transoms above and a narrow open veranda running around the outside. With the screens drawn back, garden views open on two sides.
Look closely at the alcove: the fine timbers of its post and frame are where a host's taste shows most in a room this small.
Visiting
The Nakano Family Residence Tea House sits deep inside a privately owned compound and is not open on a regular basis; as of September 2026 no scheduled openings had been announced. Nagato City reported that a Japanese garden with a tea house was shown to visitors during a local event in October 2018.
It cannot really be seen from the road, so please do not enter the grounds. The layout of the compound, past openings and directions from Nagato-Furuichi Station are on the Nakano Family Residence (Heki, Nagato) page.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Yamaguchi
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Nakano Family Residence Tea House
- [ Kintaikyo Bridge & Hagi Castle Town Tours ]
Q&A
- When was the Nakano Family Residence Tea House built?
- The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the late Taisho era (1919 to 1926). It was registered on March 6, 2024.
- How big is the Nakano Family Residence Tea House?
- It is a four-and-a-half-mat room with a building area of 17 square metres.
- Why was the Nakano Family Residence Tea House registered?
- It was registered as a model of design, for the fine timbers around its alcove and its openness to the garden.
- What windows does the Nakano Family Residence Tea House have?
- A flame-headed katomado window on the west, and lattice shitaji-mado windows in the transoms on the east and south.
- Can I visit the Nakano Family Residence Tea House?
- It is privately owned and not normally open. It was shown with the garden during a local event in the past.
Basic Information
| Name | Nakano Family Residence Tea House |
|---|---|
| Location | 6057 Shimoichi, Heki-kami, Nagato City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and other lots |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2024/3/6 (Reiwa 6), registration no. 35-0115 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber building, tiled roof, building area 17 square metres, four-and-a-half-mat room |
| Owner | Private owner |
| Public Access | Not open to the public (privately owned) |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Nakano Family Residence Tea House
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00014953
- Yamaguchi Prefecture Cultural Properties: Nakano Family Residence Tea House
- https://bunkazai.pref.yamaguchi.lg.jp/bunkazai/summary.asp?mid=110239
- Nagato City: Furuichi Retro de Bazaar (2018)
- https://www.city.nagato.yamaguchi.jp/wadairoot/wadai/181014huruichiretoro.html
Last verified: 2026.09.24
